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The UN at Seventy-Five

The UN marked its seventy-fifth birthday this month with a General Assembly like no other. Instead of the world’s annual diplomatic expo where leaders from all corners of the planet convene on New York, causing gridlock and transport chaos, the event is taking place virtually for the first time. Yet whilst this is due to the COVID-19 pandemic the growing trend in nationalisms is forcing the organisation, the pinnacle of multilateral governance into a period of self-reflection.
Famously the Swedish diplomat Dag Hammarskjold explained that “the UN was not created to take mankind to heaven, but to save humanity from hell." Indeed, World War III has not happened yet and on that single issue the UN can claim success. However, under its watch conflict has instead mutated and evolved from state to state wars to conflicts defined by internal struggles and the rise and rise of non-state armed groups. The UN has singularly failed via its array of mechanisms and resolutions to put an end to the wars in Syria and Yemen for example.
Contrary to global governance are countries adopting a them ‘first’ approach. Narrow nationalisms are largely blinkered to concepts such as enlightened self-interest and often struggle to express themselves beyond withdrawing from and undermining the rules-based order as it is. Observers have warned that whilst traditional General Assembly meetings force leaders to craft speeches to an audience of their peers, this year the virtual format could encourage endless speechifying designed for domestic audiences.
Populist leaders untethered by the physical presence of the United Nations headquarters are likely to speak directly to their own audiences rather than engage in any form of genuine debate. Indeed, those who work around the fringes of the organisation speak to a concern as to what relevance it has in a world where the larger powers prefer to act unshackled by global consensus or through their own more bespoke coalitions of allies.
The absence of America from its traditional role on the world stage is a challenge for the UN. Trump’s obvious distain for the organisation is reflected in his actions and his words, or lack of them – choosing to send someone else to the UN this year. Interestingly whilst US influence diminishes within the body others are looking to fill the vacuum, particularly the Chinese who are investing more and more in the UN and will surely take it in a new direction of travel if a second term Trump Administration continues to haemorrhage interest in it.
China's President Xi Jinping set down a marker for his country’s greater role in a more multipolar and less multilateral world on Monday, explaining that "no country has the right to dominate global affairs, control the destiny of others, or keep advantages in development all to itself. Even less should one be allowed to do whatever it likes and be the hegemon, bully or boss of the world. Unilateralism is a dead end."
China is keen for the UN to avoid being overly focused on the internal affairs of its member nations, something that has arguably prevented the organisation from being more effective in addressing the civil wars of the modern day. If the notion of a ‘responsibility to protect’ was the high-watermark of a multilateral world in which states agreed, in instances like Libya, that they would intervene to prevent the loss of civilian life, then this years General Assembly feels a world away.
Trump remains desperate to withdraw US troops from conflicts or stations overseas and when asked to justify why some still remain uses narrow economic self-interest, such as in the case of Syria when he explained that; “we're out of Syria, other than we kept the oil. I kept the oil. And we have troops guarding the oil. Other than that, we're out of Syria. So we're out of Syria, except we kept the oil".
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is walking a tight and difficult line in ensuring that the UN can effectively ensure continued relevance and purpose in this choppy period of global affairs. As he put it; "no one wants a world government - but we must work together to improve world governance." Nowhere could the continued need for the UN be more demonstratable than if it were able to bring together an effective global response to the global challenge of the COVID pandemic. That surely is the moment for the UN at 75 to remind us as to why it should make it to 100.
by : jamse danselow
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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